This past Sunday I was determined… incredibly determined to make some concoction with rhubarb. I’m always usually pretty persistent with my recipes, but this Sunday was just a little different. Basically, this urge to bake with rhubarb resulted from a visit I had a few weeks ago to Ox in Portland where I had one of the most tasty sweet concoctions of my life: Rhubarb Vanilla Sorbet, Bittersweet Chocolate Magic Shell, Crushed Pistachio.

As a result, I’ve been thinking about rhubarb ever since that visit so I knew I had to fulfill my craving for it.

But, among all of the various options to bake with rhubarb, I decided that instead of a rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie, I wanted to make something “cooler” (temperature-wise), so I choose to attempt to replicate the Rhubarb Sorbet I had at Ox. However, after two botched tries of locating rhubarb (the first store did not have rhubarb and the second store had unripe rhubarb), my final attempt resulted in just enough (I almost took all of the slim supply at the store) to make this dessert!

Despite the madness of visiting three stores, this recipe was definitely worth the trouble and the wait. Just look at the pictures above and below and you’ll understand!

Step 1: Chop Rhubarb

Step 2: Dissolve Sugar in Water Over Low Heat

Step 3: Add Lemon Juice and Rhubarb Pieces

Step 4: Put Rhubarb Mixture into a Food Processor

Step 5: Place Rhubarb Mixture into Ice Cream Machine

Step 6: Scoop, Drizzle Chocolate and
Pistachios; Eat!

Even though I didn’t make the “magic shell” like Ox did, I still thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Basically, this recipe encompasses three distinct flavors: tart, sweet and salty. Usually I only like two of those distinct flavor types, but this time all three converged together quite nicely without overwhelming each other in the process!

Thank you to Ox for offering such a delicious recipe!

Cheers!

I’ve been traveling quite a bit the first part of this year and have definitely missed my lazy Sunday afternoons of cooking. Luckily for me, things at work have settled down and I now have more time (and energy) to dedicate to cooking and updating this blog!

Lately, the Spring weather has actually been quite nice in an otherwise rainy Northwest climate. As a result, our “teaser” days of 70 degree sunshine have definitely made me reminisce and look forward to days of grilling, sunglasses and playing a little volleyball outside. So, in between the bouts of rain, I wanted to make a recipe that would make anyone eating it look forward to Summer: Chile-braised Pork Tacos.

Step 1: Chop Chiles and Steep in Hot Water

Step 2: Put Chiles, 1/4 Cup Reserved Liquid,
Lime Juice and Sugar in a Food Processor

Step 3: Put Chile Mixture Onto Pork;
Chill in Refrigerator Overnight

Step 4: Simmer Onions, Garlic and Spices;
Add Pork and Put in Oven for 2.5 Hours

Step 5: Take Out Pork; Shred Pork;
Put Onto Tacos or Rice; Add Toppings

At first glance, these tacos might seem like they require a lot of steps and time; however, the looks are definitely deceiving. This recipe is actually quite easy and quick, especially when spread out over two days (which I’d highly recommend).

I decided to pair a jalapeno-mango salsa with this recipe which provided a nice spritz of sweet flavors among the spicy and salty flavors of the pork. However, in hindsight, I wish I would have left the pork in the oven for longer to accumulate even more flavor (this is saying a lot consider that I’m not the most patient cook!), but, all in all, I really can’t complain because this is a great recipe and one that will definitely be repeated this Summer!

Cheers!

Last night I spent time with a few girlfriends and I decided to make these. Although I put as little effort possible (store bought Valentine’s Day heart-shaped cookies from Trader Joe’s and store bought icing), I still enjoyed assembling these together to resemble a gigantic version of the classic Necco sweethearts.

I also just had to do the infamous “old-school” FAX ME sweetheart cookie as well as the updated “new-school” #LOVE sweetheart cookie. Even though Valentine’s Day can get a bit silly, I still do enjoy the spirit of it and it’s always a nice reminder to tell your family and friends how much you love them.

Thank you lovely readers for continuing to support this blog and for all of your wonderful comments. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

Did you watch the Super Bowl?

Even though my city’s team wasn’t in the Super Bowl, I still had fun watching the game, all of the commercials and, of course, the FOOD!

I saw this Super Bowl dessert recipe for Pull Apart Touchdown Cupcakes and just had to make it/them! This recipe was a lot of fun – I definitely reached out to some of my boyfriend’s friends to help me with a play-by-play option to set-up all of the players (Sour Patch Kids) on the field (cupcake valley). After all, I wanted it to be as “authentic” as a Super Bowl dessert has the potential to be!

What recipes did you make or do you make for watching sports?

Cheers!

I had originally envisioned a grandiose meal with a decadent dessert for my first meal made at home; however, this quickly faded as reality set in and I realized that I was actually much more tired than I had previously thought!

So, in order to fulfill my quest for an easier meal, I picked up the most recent issue of Cooking Light and immediately gravitated toward the Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (or in my opinion, better referred to as Chicken Lettuce Wraps). I always remembered hearing my friends rave about the Chicken Lettuce Wraps from P.F. Changs and always meant to make them at home and just never found the time. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic when I saw this recipe!

Step 1: Finely Chop Shallots, Serrano
Chiles and Garlic; Cut Red Pepper into Slices

Step 2: Saute Red Pepper, Shallots and Garlic

Step 3: Cook Ground Chicken, Add Chiles,
Add Red Pepper and Shallot Mixture,
Add Fish Sauce and Other Spices

Step 4: Assemble Chicken Mixture into
Lettuce Cups, Add Basil and Lime Wedges; Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe, especially since I’m someone who loves the heat (a.k.a spicy flavors).  In addition to the spicy flavors, this recipe tasted light due to the crisp red peppers, lime and soy sauce ingredients.

Aside from the flavor, another nice aspect of this recipe is that this can be used in many other ways, such as with rice, noodles or in a soup. Because this recipe is so simple and versatile just means that I’ll have to make these Chicken Lettuce Wraps again sometime soon!

Cheers!

I love the idea of having staple items in the kitchen for meals to provide consistency and an easy-to-follow routine. But, in order to avoid getting into a “recipe-rut”, I really try to implement at least one change or a new food item each week.

This week I decided to buy a “tomato medley” of red, orange and yellow colored tomatoes instead of my usual purchase of cherry tomatoes. Although I’d usually use these as an option for a snack or salad topper, I decided that these would be perfect for Tomato, Red Onion and Basil Bruschetta. In my head, I renamed the recipe “colorful bruschetta” as a result of the nice pop of color from all of the different colored tomatoes.

I was excited to make this recipe for two reasons. First, it provides a nice contrast in the winter against traditionally heavy foods. Secondly, I used a very handy and useful new utensil kit consisting of a spoonula, baster and spatula from Kitchen Innovate. See below for the recipe and how I used this new kit!

Step 1: Chop Tomatoes, Garlic, Red Onion and Basil

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together With Spoonula

Step 3: Slice Bread Into Thin Pieces

Step 4: Use Baster to Spread Each
Piece of Bread with Olive Oil

Step 5: Place Bread in Broiler for a
Few Minutes; Scrape With Garlic

Step 6: Use Spatula to Put Tomato
Mixture onto Each  Piece of Bread

Step 7: Bring to a Party and Enjoy!

I consider this recipe to be a win-win and especially with the help of the utensil kit from Kitchen Innovate. Not only were the flavors delicious, but the baster was a clever tool to use because it allowed me to spread olive oil evenly across the bread instead of just having bites doused with too much olive oil from drizzling. Plus, the spatula worked well for dishing out the last bits of tomato mixture and to ensure to use every last bit!

As it relates to the actual recipe, I ended up serving for my family and guests and they absolutely loved them. The varying flavors from the different colored tomatoes made for nice bursts of flavor against the red onion and basil. I thought that we’d for sure have leftovers, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Cheers!

I choose to make Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Fontina, Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes. At first glance, this recipe didn’t seem that much healthier than my pasta option due to the copious amounts of cheese needed; therefore, I decided to use significantly less cheese and substituted out artichokes and put in some spinach instead.

Step 1: Chop Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes,
Fontina, Spinach and Basil

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together in a Bowl

Step 3: Pound Chicken Breast to Make Thin;
Place Filling on Top; Roll and Bake

Step 4: Pair with Vegetables or Starches; Eat!

To be perfectly honest, I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I was worried that I was going to need a sauce to go with it or that the chicken might end up a bit dry. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor from the sun dried tomatoes, basil and garlic really came through nicely for a mix of bold flavors. I’ll definitely be adding this into the usual rotation from time to time!

Cheers!

Last night I was definitely in the mood to create something Christmas related. But, at the same time, I was completely wiped from all of the other Christmas festivities, all while trying to balance work and other activities too.

Then, it came to me.

Chocolate dipped pretzels.

Yes, these are extremely easy. Yes, I could have just bought chocolate dipped pretzels. Yes, these aren’t that original.

But, I all I needed were some red and green sprinkles and… viola! Christmas Pretzels! Well, almost… but, the process was still super simple:

1. Buy jumbo pretzels, milk chocolate chips and red and/or green sprinkles

2. Melt milk chocolate chips in a double-boiler

3. Dip jumbo pretzels into melted milk chocolate and then dip into red and/or green sprinkles

4. Let cool/harden and then eat!

As I shared these on Instagram, one friend commented that these green sprinkled concoctions were “Grinch Pretzels”.

I entirely loved her comment. Therefore, I’ll let you decide – Christmas or Grinch Pretzels?

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Like many other Americans, one of our traditions during the Thanksgiving holiday is to watch all of the intense rivalry football games.  I decided to make Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes from Cooking Light for a nice treat during the games. The actual recipe is not difficult, but the time needed between steps was a bit lengthy. Therefore, it was a perfect baking adventure to do between quarters of football this past Saturday!

Step 1: Crush Vanilla Wafers for Crust

Step 2: Place Crust in Cupcake Tin; Bake

Step 3: Mix Filling Ingredients Together;
Place in Cooled Cupcake Tin

Step 4: Bake and Let Cool

Step 5: Create Caramel and
Place on Top; Sprinkle Salt Flakes; Eat

Again, I’ve totally been overdoing it on the “mini” trend lately. But, when I saw this recipe, I just couldn’t resist! The crust uses vanilla wafers which provides a different burst of crumbly texture and sweet flavors, especially when combined with the salted caramel. I’m a total fan of using salted caramel because it helps dilute some of the overly sweet flavors of desserts and makes it a bit more enjoyable.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving or if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Cheers!

Sundays are a perfect day for a long prepared dinner and dessert, and especially pie. I have been wanting to make a traditional pumpkin pie for a few weeks now and have been attempting to resist the urge to do so until Thanksgiving. However, this past weekend, I completely caved at the thought of making mini pumpkin pies. In my opinion, mini desserts are just more fun and they save those in consumption a few calories (as long as only one mini pie is eaten and not three!). This recipe for Pumpkin Pie is very flavorful with its touch of many spices and basks perfectly in a super-flaky crust that is to die for. Watch out, it is hard to just stop at one mini pie!

Step 1: Make Dough and Roll Out With
Rolling Pin; Shape for Mini Pie Tins

Step 2: Mix Ingredients for Filling Together

Step 3: Bake Individual Pie Crusts
(I used muffin tins) and
Let Cool; Pour in Filling and Bake; Eat!

These are a perfect treat to take to a family or friend’s house for Thanksgiving. Plus, the other perk of these is that no extra silverware is required. No forks or plates required, just a strong appetite and sweet tooth!

Cheers!